Foodie Friday On A Saturday - My Hello Fresh Experience

I think at some point we've all pondered the question - what do I have for dinner? It's one of the most obvious questions we ask ourselves on almost a daily basis but sometimes it's one of the hardest to answer.

How many times have you stood in front of the fridge, and all of a sudden your mind goes blank. Even if there is food in there, you can sometimes feel uninspired when it comes to food. Don't get me wrong I love cooking and I do experiment occasionally with food, when I have the time, but more often than not I make, and eat the same things over, and over again.

So what do you do when you're bored, the fridge is empty and you're lacking in inspiration? Well the most obvious answer is to let somebody else do the cooking, and go out for a meal or have a takeaway, but if you love being in the kitchen, there are other ways, you can read through some cookery books, you can take a trip to your local supermarket or farm shop or you could try one of the many meal delivery or box schemes that are out there.

Probably like most of you I'd seen the adverts for Hello Fresh on TV but it wasn't  something that I'd never thought much about, that was until I received a £25 gift card in a recent Glossybox. An odd collaboration with a beauty box but after a little discussion with Mummy Lou and a look at the Hello Fresh website, we decided to use the voucher and order a box.

Some meal boxes on the market deliver ready prepared meals but Hello Fresh is a little bit different. Every week the chefs at Hello Fresh create delicious, and nutritious recipes in their own kitchens, and instead of being sent a ready meal, you're sent the freshest and best quality ingredients to make the recipes in your own kitchen, usually in less than half an hour.

There are a few different boxes to choose from a Classic Box, a Family Box, and a Veggie Box. Obviously being a vegetarian, I went for the Veggie Box, which is ideal for lacto ovo vegetarians like myself - It contains no meat or fish but it does potentially contains eggs, and dairy products. My one issue is that some of the recipes do contain wheat or gluten but as you'll see there are ways round it.

The Veggie Box that I got costs £36 and comes with the ingredients to make three, generous main meals for 2 people, but you can also get a Veggie box that makes 3 meals for 4 people if you have more mouths to feed. The Classic Box works in a similar way and you also have the option of getting a 5 meal box, and the Family box provides 4 meals a week for 4-5 people.

The good thing about the Hello Fresh scheme is that it flexible, you don't have to buy what you don't want, you can pause and stop deliveries at any time or you can just get a one off box when you feel like it. All the boxes are delivered on a Monday and then you can see a preview of the next weeks meals and if you don't want them you can just pause your account.

I enjoyed my first box so much that I got another one delivered on Monday and this was it.

My boxes were delivered by DHL and I received emails from both them and Hello Fresh ahead of my delivery. My goodies came in a strong cardboard box divided up into a couple of section depending on the food type. All of the chilled items came with ice packs and well wrapped up in insulated packaging, and the rest of the items were well protected with brown paper.

All of the vegetables, fresh herbs and tinned items arrived in excellent condition.The vegetables were firm and unblemished, I received pasta that was made in Italy and the tinned tomatoes and lentils that I got were organic.

I also received a paper bag containing two fresh garlic cloves, and little individual, portion controlled plastic pots of spices.

Finally I received an insulated bag, filled with ice packs and my refrigerated items - fresh peas, real Cypriot Halloumi, a small tub of Creme Fraiche and some real Italian Buffalo Mozzarella. No smart price items here - just good quality, premium, authentic products

So you've got your ingredients then what ? Well for every recipe you received a full colour recipe card, that gives you full instructions on how to prepare every aspect of the dish. The card also provides allergy advice, and nutritional and calorie information. It also gives you a little bit of inspiration behind the dish and an idea of what to expect from it.

The first recipe that I tried this week was Lentil And Charred Vegetable Halloumi Salad.

I am probably the worlds biggest halloumi lover (read my post in praise of the squeaky cheese here) so this recipe was right up my street. Basically you char grill the red pepper and the courgette in a little bit of olive oil, before mixing with the drained green lentils and rocket. You then top it with an
easy salad dressing made with a sprig of thyme, some lemon juice, seasoning and olive oil. Then you toss the halloumi in a little olive oil and some lemon zest before frying it till golden. Top your salad mix with the halloumi and you're done x

In a word - amazing - The saltiness of the halloumi combined perfectly with the tangy dressing, the earthiness of the lentils, the pepperiness of the rocket and the sweetness of the peppers. This was a really nice, and surprisingly filling dish that I'll definitely make again. The only things I needed to add were some salt, pepper and olive oil, and I had some thyme and some lemon left over.

The next meal that I made was something I wasn't sure about at first but it's something that I will definitely make again - Mustard Seed Green Bean Salad With Roasted Sweet Potato.

This was probably the most complicated of the 3 recipes, because you were really making three separate things, it was still pretty simple though and the step by step instructions were easy to follow.
Seeing as I'm a bit of a sweet potato addict the wedges were easier enough to make and they were served with a creamy creme fraiche, lemon and ginger dip. Alongside that you made a salad with fresh peas, sugar snap peas, and green beans, with added red onion, red chilli, garlic and lemon zest, all topped with mustard, nigella, and coriander seeds roasted in oil.

This dish was a real taste explosion that made the most of some really fresh ingredients. The sweet potatoes were sweet and caramelised, the dip was zingy and creamy, and the bean salad was full of fresh flavours, with a hit of warmth from the raw onion, garlic and chilli, and spiciness from the roasted seeds. As I say this dish really surprised me by just how good and how filling it was, and by the multitude of different flavour sensations. I didn't use all the chilli as it was a little on the warm side and I had some ginger and some lemon leftover, and again the only thing I needed to add was oil, salt and pepper.

The final recipe was a nice quick and filling Italian meal, Rigatoni Caprese With Olives And Mozzarella.

This recipe came with a packet of Italian made dried rigatoni pasta which was obviously crammed full of wheat and gluten so I substituted it for the same amount of gluten free pasta. I couldn't find any free from rigatoni but pasta is pasta so fusilli it was. All of the recipes list the allergens quite clearly and it's pretty easy to substitute or replace your own ingredients if your don't like something or if you are allergic.

This was probably the quickest and easiest recipe of the three, you just a really basic tomato sauce, with organic tinned tomatoes, onions, garlic, black olives and lots and lots of fresh basil. Just mix your sauce in with pasta and top with some fresh basil and torn up buffalo mozzarella.

This was a really simple recipe but again it was a recipe that came into it's own because of the freshness and quality of the ingredients. The olives were strong and salty, the basil was hot and peppery and the mozzarella was incredible and easily the nicest that I've ever had. It was firm on the outside and beautifully creamy on the inside. The only additions were salt, pepper and olive oil but I have to admit that I add the a little bit of red chilli to give it a bit more of a bite. This wasn't the most exciting recipe of the 3 but it was a good staple recipe that could be the base for many more meals.

My Hello Fresh experience so far has been a good one,  the quality of the ingredients has really, really impressed me and the recipes have all been tasty, plentiful and easy to follow. Even if your not a regular cook I don't think you'd have a problem following the recipes and if like me you are a dab hand in the kitchen then these recipes will hopefully inspire you to experiment and try out new things and different ingredient combinations.

The boxes aren't cheap but with the box that I get each meal works out at around £6 per potion, per person which isn't that bad when you consider what you spend on a takeaway or in a restaurant. That said I won't be buying a box every week but for an occasional treat or for a when time is precious or when I'm lacking in inspiration, I'll definitely indulge again.

If you fancy trying out a Hello Fresh for yourself, just go to the Hello Fresh website, sign up using my referral code A2NEYL, and get £20 off your first box x  Whether you're a hardcore foodie or even if your just a lazy, this could be the answer to your stomachs prayers. Thanks for reading and if you have any questions please leave me a comment x

Sunday Fun Courtesy Of Lush Newcastle - #GeordieLush

Hey Guys x It's been a few days since I last posted but I've been seriously lacking in spoons, chronic illness you suck! It's always the way I do something I enjoy and I pay the price, it annoying really because last Sunday was probably the best and most positive that I've felt in a long time.

Instead of having my customary lie in on Sunday morning, I boarded a bus and headed into Newcastle to meet up with some of my favourite North East bloggers for a mini blog event at Lush Newcastle. Unlike the previous Lush blogger event that I attended, this was a very small, intimate event that gave us the opportunity to have a play and ask as many questions as we liked.

We were met at the door by the lovely Graeme, who was to be our guide and our host, and our first task was to get our hands dirty, and make one of Lush's most popular skincare products, Angels On Bare Skin

If you've been reading my blog for a little while now, you'll know that it isn't the first time that I'd made Angels On Bare Skin. Way back in May 2013 I attended a blog event at Lush's Metro Centre store, and this was one of the products that we made. You can read a full review here but it's a product that I love, it's a fabulous cleanser and gentle exfoliator for all skin types, and it smells absolutely fantastic. Compared to last time though this event was a lot more intimate so there was plenty of opportunity to get involved and to get our hands dirty (or should I say clean?).

The first thing that went into the bowl were the liquid ingredients. In this case, vegetable glycerin, plain old tap water, and Lush's special fragrance and colour mix which includes lavender essential oil and rose absolute.

Next it was time for the dry ingredients, there are just two dry ingredients but they make this cleanser what it is - kaolin which is clay that absorbs grease and dirt, and ground almonds to tone and brighten the skin.

Then it was time to get our hands in and give it a good mix. You're really trying to create an almost dough like consistency so you need to pull in and combine the dry and liquid ingredients and give it a good knead.

Then it was time to form our cleansers. We were each given a ball of dough which we had to roll into a log shape, then we had to flatten it out, sprinkle it with lavender flowers and then roll it into a sort of a Swiss roll shape.

Finally it was time to squish our cleansers into the familiar black plastic pots, sprinkle it with a bit more lavender and pop the lid on - Voila!

Although Angels On Bare Skin is probably best known as a facial cleanser, Graeme told us that it can also be used as a gentle body cleanser, particularly on areas prone to redness, and congestion such as the upper arms, and as you can see here it also makes a fabulous hand scrub and cleanser.

After we'd dried our hands Graeme then give us a guided tour of the store, and told us a little bit about some of the soon to be discontinued products, and about some of the newer launches and of course about the new Oxford Street exclusives (stamps feet I want the Comforter Shower Gel!)

We also had a little try of some of the fragrances and learnt about some of the back stories and the reasoning behind some of the stranger names. Although my sense of smell was still lacking I came away wanting, no needing ! both Kerbside Violet and Death And Decay!

We also spent a bit of time finding out more about the Lush sun protection line. It's so hard to create cruelty free sun protection but Lush seem to have done it with their Sesame Sun Tan Lotion and The Sunblock, a solid sunscreen wash! which I'm very keen to try.

After a bit of chit chat to Graeme about blogs and blogging it was time to leave. As well as our tubs of Angels On Bare Skin we also received a little goodie bag containing a mini New Charity Pot, a Braziliant Shampoo Bar, an Avobath Bath Ballistic and some discontinued Love You Mum soap that went straight to Mummy Lou ;)

I'll definitely be reviewing some of these products in future posts and I'll also be reviewing something that I purchased on the day x More on this little packet to come soon x 

I would like to thank both my fellow bloggers, and Graeme and the rest of the staff at Lush Eldon Square for a fun morning, and for their obvious enthusiasm for the brand and it's products. Thanks for reading and if you have any questions please leave me a comment x 

New CID Cosmetics - I-Polish - Pink Macaroon - Nails Of The Day

Unlike so many of my peers I've never been a typical pink girl, and whilst I still don't own a lot of out and out, pink clothing pieces when it comes to make up and nails it's a completely different story. I love pink lipstick, I adore pink blusher and when it comes to summer, hot pink is one of my go to nail colours.

Although I've tried a few products from British cosmetic and makeover brand New CID Cosmetics, I wasn't that familiar with their nail polish line - Recently though Cosmopolitan magazine came with a free bottle so I couldn't resist picking up a copy and giving it a go.

New CID Cosmetics I-Polish in Pink Macaroon, is a bright almost neon, fuchsia pink, with a cream finish that's perfect for this time of year - My pictures really aren't doing this justice it's hot, hot, hot in real life.

Application was good, the long, thin brush was easy to use, and the formula is self levelling and quick drying, 

Overall I'm pretty impressed with my first New CID Cosmetics nail experience but if you want to buy this shade I'm afraid you're out of luck! I've had a look online and I can't find this colour anywhere. I think that this must have either been a discontinued line or something that was produced especially for the magazine cover mount. New CID Cosmetics do still produce the I-Polish range, but the packaging is slightly different and the bottle contain the familiar lights that the brand is so famous for. The 3 free polishes come in a wide range of "safe", wearable shades and retail at £10 from the New CID Cosmetics website for a 15ml bottle. Not the cheapest of polished but I don't think it's bad for a salon branded, good quality polish. Have you tried any polishes from this brand before?

A Review Of The Incredible Face Mask By May Beauty*

Although I stressed constantly about my skin when I was younger, looking back on it I think I was pretty lucky. Yes, +I suffered from breakouts, an oily t-zone, and huge pores, but by and large I managed to escape the curse that is severe acne.

When you have spots and acne it affects every single aspect of your life, and although my skin wasn't that bad it did get me down at times and hamper my self confidence. One of the good things about getting older is that your skin changes and my skin now is probably the best it's ever been. That said, I do still get the odd breakout especially at the time of the month, and my pores? well they're still there and they're still obvious.

I don't think we're ever happy, are we? but if your skin is getting you down the are some things you can do to make it, and yourself feel a little bit better. A little while ago now I was given the opportunity to review a new face mask, you should know by now that I love face masks so I jumped at the chance to try something new.

The Incredible Face Mask from MayBeauty is a peel off mud mask that is designed especially for skin that is prone to spots, acne, blackheads and oiliness. This dermatologically tested, and animal friendly mask, contains dead sea mud, and glycerin, and claims to rejuvenate and deep cleanse the skin by removing the dead skin cells, and dirt particles, that clog the pores and cause spots.

Unusually for a skin care brand though MayBeauty are firm believers that skincare alone doesn't have all the answers. With every starter pack of the masks that you buy you also get a copy of their booklet, The Incredible Skin Guide which helps you to tackle some of the root causes of acne.

As well as giving you comprehensive instructions on how to use the masks and their benefits, the booklet also offers general skincare advice and advice on dietary changes that can work in conjunction with the masks to reduce spots, acne and breakouts. It features sections on foods that cause acne and foods that cure acne, as well as advice on useful supplements, and a section on sugar addiction.

It all makes sense really if you eat badly, and don't drink enough water, it's bound to show in your skin. I'm going to level with you here though, I haven't really stuck to the dietary advice, over the past few weeks I have been trying to eat more healthily but my experience here is going to be purely based on the mask, and what a mask it is!

You always know it's going to be a messy one when you get a mask brush with it, and that's exactly what comes in your starter pack. You get a lovely soft, white branded mask brush which is the complete opposite of the jet black mask!

Tear open your mask sachet and you're greeted with a pleasant, fresh smelling, sticky black liquid that resembles Marmite, all you do is apply it evenly over clean dry skin, avoiding the lips, eyes and eyebrows. I would also keep it away from your hairline, and if you're a guy I would shave before using this mask and I would avoid any areas of facial hair if you can - this stuff sticks! You also need to avoid any damaged, broken or inflamed skin and any areas of severe open acne.

I personally found it easier and a lot less messy to use the mask brush but you can use your fingers if you like. The brush washes out really easily in warm water, so just let it dry and your good to go next time you want to use it. You can also use warm water to wash away any of the mask that's gone astray.

Before

Then all you do is sit back for 30-45 minutes and relax. Because of the nature of the mask you can't use it in the bath but I used the opportunity to lie back, relax and take some time out. You can gradually feel the mask tightening and in time it will look less shiny and will feel drier to the touch. It does take a while but you need to wait until the mask is completely dry and set.

After 

I'm not going to lie with this mask the adhesion is strong, so this best way I've found to remove it is to wiggle you nose, and move your face around till it loosens a bit like you can see below.

Then like a wax strip peel the mask off. I going to be honest here and say that this did make my skin tingle - the mask clings to every little facial hair, so the best thing to do is just to pull it off as quickly as possible. As you can see my mask came off in one piece but if you have any residue or any mask that didn't come loose than you can just remove it with water

As you can see from these photos, when you first remove the mask your skin does look a little bit pink, and it feels a little bit tingly, but splash your face with cool water and this dies off quite quickly. Afterwards your skin is left feeling very fresh, very clean and very smooth, and if you look closely at the mask you've removed it's a bit like those pore strips that everyone used to go mad over, you can actually see some of the gunk that the mask's removed.

I've been using this mask once a week for the last 5 weeks and I have to say I have noticed a difference in my skin. After my first use my skin did actually break out but with continued use my skin looks a lot clearer especially around my nose and chin, and my usual time of the month breakout was almost non existent.

If you have severe acne or really sensitive skin than I probably wouldn't recommend this mask but if you have skin like me and suffer from visible pores, congestion, oiliness, and breakouts, or you just feel as though your skin needs a deep clean, than this could be the mask for you, and it's definitely something that I'll buy x You can purchase The Incredible Face Mask directly from MayBeauty in a variety of configurations starting at just £19. Please let me know if you try it x I'd love to hear your thoughts x 

*Press Samples

The Perfect Summer Body Moisturiser Courtesy Of Yes To Coconut*

Unless you've been living under a rock you'll know that over the past few days it's been pretty warm in the UK. I love heat and I love the sunshine, but I'm not the biggest fan of the sticky, humid weather that we're having at the moment, give me dry, desert or Mediterranean heat any day!

When the weather is warmer it's more important than ever to keep your skin hydrated but there is nothing worse than trying to rub thick, sticky or heavy body products into damp, clammy skin. Not all body products are heavy and greasy though, there is now a wide range of lighter textured products available, from gels, to light gel creams, and body lotion sprays, that are ideal for keeping your skin hydrated in the summer months.

Personally I'm a huge fan of body lotion sprays. These light, moisturising mists are perfect for the summer months and dare I say it for when you're feeling lazy or in a rush. From something that was once quite difficult to get hold of, you can now find body lotion sprays in pretty much any chemist, supermarket or department store, at a wide variety of price points. I've got a couple in my collection already but since we're all feeling so summery at the moment for one of June's My Pure reviews I decided to try one from the very tropical, holiday sounding Yes To Coconut range.

From the popular Yes To stable, Yes To Coconut Dry Skin Ultra Light Body Lotion Spray, is paraben, petroleum, and SLS free, and contains 97% natural ingredients. It contains a variety of light, but potent moisturisers including virgin coconut oil, sunflower oil, jojoba oil, shea butter, and aloe vera. It is designed to help smooth and hydrate dry, cracked skin, without feeling greasy or heavy.

It comes packaged in 295ml plastic bottle with a pump action trigger dispenser. The spray is easy to operate and even works upside down, making it easy to use on hard to reach areas such as your back and the backs of your arms and legs. You can either spray the product directly onto the skin or you can spray it into your hand and massage it directly where you want it. A little goes a long way so you don't need a lot making this a very economical product.

One of the criticisms of products like this is that sometimes they just aren't moisturising enough if you have drier skin, and they can be quite watery. This one though is very different, the product that comes out is a thin, but substantial white cream. It feels quite light on the skin but at the same time, it feels quite creamy. It absorbs quickly with no greasiness or residue, leave the skin hydrated and subtly scented.

As you would expect from the brand name and the main ingredient, this product smells of coconuts. Sometime coconut fragrances can be quite overpowering and sickly, and I think that's one of the reasons why I'm not that keen on coconut as a fragrance, but this one has a subtle sweet and creamy coconut aroma, that reminds of tropical holidays, Bounty bars, and coconut ice.

In every way, shape and form, this product for me, is perfect for the summer months, It's easy to use and the lotion is light and creamy, but at the same time it's soothing and hydrating. As well as a daily body moisturiser I've also used it as an summery, coconut smelling after sun, without any stinging or irritation. The Yes To Coconut Dy Skin Ultra Light Body Lotion Spray normally retails at £11.99 for a 295ml bottle from My Pure but it's currently on special at just £10.43. Are you a coconut fan? Let me know in the comments x 

*Sample

Life Lately And Trimming My Stash - June 2015 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews

Hi everyone x It's been a couple of days but I'm back with my June empties post. I'm glad to see the back of June if I'm honest, it's being a very stressful, rubbishy, up and down sort of a month. A slight case of the sniffles developed into a full on chest and lung infection that I'm still trying to get rid of, and that I've have subsequently passed on to my mum. Throw in the fact that the bathroom fitters turned up pretty much unannounced last week and left us without a bath or shower for over a week and you'll get some idea of where I'm coming from.

It's been a tough couple of weeks, and circumstances have not only affected my blog but they've also affected June's Trimming My Stash.

Avon Violet Bubble Bath - 1000ml

Mini MAC Zoom Lash Mascara - Black

Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment - 100ml

Avon Blackberries And Vanilla Bubble Bath - 500ml

May Beauty The Incredible Face Mask - 10ml 

May Beauty The Incredible Face Mask - 10ml 

Total - 6 Items

Although I managed to finish 6 items, if things had gone my way it could have been a lot more. Illness meant that I just couldn't be bothered to carry out a full face, body and hair care routine, let alone wear a make up so I've still got a few nearly finished, products teetering on the edge 

I did manage to finish two bath products and a few Lush and Bomb Cosmetics pieces, but due to the bathroom fitters turning up at least a week ahead of schedule, I ran out of time to finish all my bath things and I've been left with a few bottles of bubble bath. I should be able to use the majority of them as shower products though so hopefully nothing will go to waste. 

So what were the products that I finished in June and what did I think of them?

1. Avon Violet Bubble Bath - 1000ml

I'm a huge fan of these Avon Bubble Baths, they are really affordable, and they come in a variety of permanent and limited edition fragrances. This one was a full litre size of the Violet Bubble Bath. When I first used it I was a bit disappointed as it wasn't the strong Parma Violet fragrance that I'd anticipated but on reflection it was still a nice product with a pleasant violet aroma, without being too strong or too sweet. I think this was one of the limited edition fragrances but it's always worth taking a look at these when you see them in the brochure no matter what the fragrance. They are great value for money and they do exactly what you'd expect from a bubble bath.

2. Mini MAC Zoom Lash Mascara - Black

I'm not sure how big this was but it was a tiny little sample that I got with an online purchase. This is one of MAC's best selling mascaras and I got around 2 weeks use from this size. I've used the full sized version and whilst I don't think it's anything special or exciting, it's a decent mascara that separated and seem to lengthen the lashes. I'm not sure I would repurchase but it's isn't bad.

3. Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment - 100ml

This is a pre wash, hair mask that I love, and that Mummy Lou loves. I've used this for a few years now on and off and it's something that I will continue to use. I think Mummy Lou bought this one but I was recently sent a batch of Ojon goodies which included another pot of this magical substance so I'll do a full review for you soon.

4. Avon Blackberries And Vanilla Bubble Bath - 500ml

Another bubble bath from Avon and another limited edition. This one had quite a runny formulation and the blackberry and vanilla fragrance to me smelled quite fruity, and almost creamy and coconut like. Like all of the products I've used in the this range, a small amount of product goes a long way and produces a mass of bubbles, so these large bottles last a long time, and are good value for money. I think I only have one of these left, a strawberry fragrance, so I'll be using that one as a summer shower product.

5.May Beauty The Incredible Face Mask - 10ml 

6.May Beauty The Incredible Face Mask - 10ml 

This is one of the reviews that I should posted a week or so ago. I was sent these masks to review and the review will definitely by live on the blog this weekend so if you have blemish prone skin, then stay tuned x 

So they were my June empties, if you have questions on anything I've used up please leave me a comment and I'll get back to you x 

Our new new shower room should hopefully be finished tomorrow and do you know what? I can't wait to give my new shower a try and to get some products used up x It's been a festival like existence in my own home and believe me it hasn't been fun especially since we've all been so poorly.

Speaking of which I just want to thank you again for your patience and good wishes during my poorly patch x I'm hoping to start posting regularly again from today and I'm going to try and get things back to normal. I've got a few overdue press sample, PR and brand reviews so they will probably go up first, but after it will be the usual mix of hauls, reviews and recipes x Thanks for reading and following and I'll see you soon x